Enhancing Health Security through Disease Surveillance in India

Overview

This new initiative marks a strategic enhancement of India’s existing Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). It is a collaborative effort jointly led by two major public health institutions — the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Together, they ensure a coordinated, science-based, and robust approach to strengthening national health security.

Institutional Roles 🏛️

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

The NCDC serves as the nodal agency for monitoring and responding to communicable diseases across India. It oversees the operational aspects of disease surveillance by coordinating with state and district surveillance units, training public health personnel, and managing outbreak responses. Acting as the central command center, the NCDC transforms surveillance data into actionable public health interventions that guide rapid response measures during epidemics.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

The ICMR is India’s apex body for biomedical research. Within this system, it plays a primarily scientific and advisory role. The ICMR conducts studies to identify emerging pathogens, develops advanced diagnostic tools, and provides evidence-based recommendations to the NCDC for public health policy formulation and outbreak control.

Key Surveillance Components 🔬

The strength of this modern surveillance framework lies in its multi-layered approach to data collection, combining traditional methods with innovative, science-driven techniques.

1. Clinical Surveillance

This is the conventional, symptom-based approach to disease monitoring.

Fact: Health workers and clinicians regularly report cases of epidemic-prone diseases such as Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) to the NCDC. This data is compiled on a daily or weekly basis to identify abnormal trends.

Example: A doctor notices an unusual cluster of patients with fever and respiratory distress. Upon reporting this via the health information platform, similar patterns from other regions may trigger an early outbreak alert — enabling timely investigation and containment measures.

2. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE)

This is a proactive, community-level surveillance method that offers early detection of disease spread.

Fact: Scientists analyze wastewater samples from sewage treatment plants to detect the genetic material of pathogens. The presence and concentration of these materials indicate disease prevalence in the population — including among asymptomatic carriers.

Example: Before a new viral variant leads to increased hospitalizations, its genetic signature can be identified in city sewage. This provides an early warning window — often more than a week — allowing health authorities to prepare hospitals, issue advisories, and allocate resources effectively.

3. Integrated Human–Animal Health Surveillance

This component addresses the growing threat of zoonotic diseases — infections that can spread from animals to humans.

Fact: The system continuously monitors pathogens capable of cross-species transmission, such as the Avian Influenza Virus (AIV). It promotes close coordination between human and animal health departments to identify and contain risks promptly.

Example: Surveillance teams monitor both human ILI cases and local poultry populations. If a surge in bird deaths due to AIV is detected, authorities can issue public alerts and implement preventive measures to minimize human exposure and transmission risks.

Conclusion

This integrated, data-driven surveillance initiative represents a major leap in India’s public health preparedness. By combining clinical, environmental, and zoonotic data, it ensures early detection, swift response, and improved national capacity to combat both existing and emerging infectious diseases.